Awning of the ventilated panel type



Aug. 21, 1951 c. c. BAiN 2,565,294

AWNING OF THE VENTILATED PANEL TYPE Filed Oct. 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In VENTOR. CARL C. BAm

ATTORNEY Aug. 21, 1951 c. c BAlN 2,565,294

AWNING OF THE VENTILATED PANEL TYPE Filed Oct. 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ml-p i t 1 INVENTOR; CARL C BA! N ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 21, 1951 AWNING OF THE VENTILATED PANEL TYPE Carl C. Bain, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor of thirty per cent to Helen D. Bain, twenty per cent to Carl C. Bain, Jr., and twenty per cent to Clark Holloway, Jr., all of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 29, 1947, Serial No. 782,826

This invention relates to awnings of the type commonly formed of metal sheets or channels assembled in such manner as to shield a window or the like from sun and rain, and which has ventilation or louver openings to provide for the escape of heated air from beneath the awnmg.

Some of the objects of my invention are to providean awning of the character referred to, wherein all the panel elements that constitute the awning proper-except for the frame members-can conveniently be formed of shaped sheets that are all duplicates of one another, and which can be connected together by unskilled workmen at the place of installation, the sheets or panels being of such form that when assembled with one another and with their supporting framework, there will be no bolts or screws exposed to the weather.

Another object of my invention is to provide an awning of the character referred to which can readily be applied to and removed from a building, without disassembly of any of its parts.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the awning in place at a window; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the panels of Fig. 1, in a partlyshaped condition; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the panel of Fig. 2 changed to make it applicable to use at the lower front edge of the awning; Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 shows a modification of the panel of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a view taken on the line VIVI of Fig. '7; Fig. '7 is a View taken on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner in which the upper edge of the awning of Fig. 1 is connected to a wall; Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower portion of the awning of Fig. 1, and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view showing the manner in which the lower portion of the awning is supported and braced.

The awning is formed mainly of panels II of sheet metal, a plastic or other suitable sheet material. The panels originally will be in the form of plates shaped as in Fig. 2, and these blanks will then be bent and cut to fit into their respective a locations, as will be hereinafter described.

The awning has a framework which comprises a rafter-like channel bar or element I2 at each sloping edge of the awning, it being understood that for wider awnings, there will be more than two of these rafter members used. Purlins I3 extend crosswise of the rafters I2 and are supported upon the lower flanges I4 of the rafters.

1 Claim. (Cl. 20,57.5)

The rafters have tongues I5 punched and struck up therefrom and extending through elongated narrow holes or slots, in the purlins, so that when the parts are assembled and the tongues I5 twisted, the sloping edges of their twisted portions will engage the inner corners of the slot walls, thus locking the rafters andthe purlins together. An eave-supporting bar I6 extends across the lower ends of the rafters I2 and is connected thereto by tongues I! struck up from these bars and extending through slot-like holes in the rafters and twisted, and by tongues I8 struck downwardly from the rafters and extending through slot-like holes in the eave bar I6 and twisted.

Each rafter is connected to the wall of the building by a brace bar I9. The bars at their outer ends are connected to the flanges I4 of the rafters, by bolts 20, and to the wall by anchoring studs 2|.

In assembling the panels II, when a valancelike eave portion is desired, one end of a panel II will be trimmed to provide a curved edge as shown in Fig. 3. The panel will then be bent to provide a valance portion 23. The panels will then be placed in assembled relation, with their channel-like curved edge portions 25 overlapping or nested where the edges of the panels meet. The web portions of the members at 23 have tongues 26 struck inwardly therefrom and extending through slot-like holes in the cross bar I6, and thereafter twisted, to hold these members in place.

The upper ends of these panels have tongues 21 formed thereon and bent to extend through holes in the adjacent purlin I3 and twisted. A flange 29 on the upper end of each panel is bent upwardly and backwardly as shown in Fig. 6, for hooked engagement with the next higher panel.

The second course of panels I I have their lower ends 30 bent so that they can make hooked engagement with the hooks 29 of the next lower course of panels. The tongues 21 of this row or course of panels have their tongues inserted through and bent into interlocked engagement with the next purlin I3. At the sloping edges of the awning, the adjacent tongues of the panels are inserted through the upper flange of the adjacent rafter I2, as shown at 21a in Figs. '7 and 8.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7, the channel portions of each progressively higher series or courses of panels are spaced considerably above the next lower series, so that there will be flow of air from beneath the awning roof through the spaces or louvers where the panels are in somewhat overlapping relation, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6. The overlapping of the series to the extent indicated in Fig. 6 will be sufficient to exclude sun, and of course, rain will be drained off without entering the ventilatingpassageways.

At the upper edge of the awning, a cross bar or plate 3i is secured to the wall by studs 32. A plate 33 in the nature of a purlin extends crosswise of the awning and has hooked engagement with the plate 3!. A tongue '34 is struck up from the rafter l2 and has interlocking connection with the strip 33. The strip 33 has tongues 35 struck downwardly therefrom to extend through and make interlocked engage ment with the upper flanges of the rafters l2.

The plates 3! and 33 serve, in effect, as flashing plates and a third flashing plate 36 is employed to prevent flow of water down along the wall past the upper edge of the awning proper. This plate can be of sheet'metal and has its vertical leg pushed down between the plate 33 and the wall, there being preferably some yielding of the plates 31 and 33, to make a close fit. A sealing compound will additionally be applied-at 31.

The valances 38 are provided at the sloping edges of the awning. These valances may be formed by cutting the ends off the panel of Fig. '1 and forming perhaps two or more valance ele-- ments from each panel. These valance elements are placedwith their curved edges in overlapping relation and with their upper ends beneath the marginal curved edges 25 of the adjacent longi tudinally-extending panels (as shown in Fig. 7). Tongues 39 are struck inwardly from the web portions of these valance elements to extend through slots in the rafters l2 and then twisted to'lock the valances in place against the rafters.

As stated above, the panels can all initially be shaped as in Fig. 2 and can be, therefore, compactly packaged for shipment, since they will nest with one another and therefore will not be so likely to become damaged as would otherwise be the case. The rafters, purlins and brace bars will be of heavier material and can simply be bundledfor shipment.

At the place of installation, the panels can readily be assembled and connected to one another and to the rafters and purlins as above explained. Thereupon, the assembled parts can be connected to the wall of the building by tilting the awning to a more nearly vertical position so that the plate 33 can be hooked behind the plate 3;]. The lower edge of the awning will then be swung out and the brace bars 19 applied. The plate 35 will then be inserted. The hooked engagement at 3l-33 will prevent the awning being dislodged by up-drafts. Also this form of connection facilitates removal of the awning for storage or when painting the building to which it has been applied.

In order to secure pleasing or decorative effects, the panels ll may be of various colors. For

. example, panels of one color can be alternated with panels of another color, in each course.

.InJFig. *5, la modified form of the panel of Fig. 2 is shown. This modification shows a plurality ,of hook-forming flanges 29a and 30a, at the ends of the panels, instead of the single wide flanges .23 and 30 respectively of Fig. 2. These members 29a and 30a are bent to hook form for engagement with similarly formed hook flanges of other panels, in like manner to the panel of Fig. "2. These finger-like hooks 29a and 30a allow for flow of air between them, thus providing additional ventilation.

While the claim'refers specifically to awnings, it will'be understood that various features of the invention are applicable also to roofs.

=I claim as my invention:

Awning structure comprising a panel adapted to be supported in sloping relation from the side of a building, a cross plate for connection to the building and having an upwardly-projecting flange, a flash plate secured to the upper edge of the awning roof at the lower plane thereof and'having a downwardly-bent flange for hooked engagement with the first-named flange, a second flash plate positioned on the uppermost surface of the awningroof and having a downwardlybent flange in position to be slid downwardly between the second-named flange and the side of the building, the last-named flange being snugly held against the buildingby the other two flanges, and means for holding thelower portion of the awning roof in horizontally-spaced relationto the building.

CARL C. BAIN.

REFERENCES CITED The [following references .are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 780,946 Ferron Jan. 24, 1905 1,902,879 Miller Mar. 28, 1933 2,002,358 Smith May 21 1935 2,441,081 Perry et a1 May 4, 1948 

